“... I found a newspaper report of his death that said that he was born on 09.07.1818. This year may be a lapse of memory on someone’s part as the parish entry must be 1817 because of its place in the register. His parents were married on 23.01.1798 in Piddlehinton and he was the youngest of seven children (Ann, Jane, John, Mary, Elizabeth, Abel and William) who were born between 1800 and 1817. He next appears on the 1841 Piddlehinton Census...”

The Piddlehinton census for 1841 is shown on the photographs page.

William Shephard married Ann Watts 22/03/1842 at The Parish Church of St Mary in Beaminster Q1 1842 vol 8 page 2

According to the ages shown in Census records Ann Watts was probably born about 1813 in Beaminster, although the date could be anywhere between 1812 and 1816. This uncertainty proved to be a problem when trying to trace her death. There is a baptismal record for 1813.

The information on the baptism of Anne Watts was taken from an entry in the Beaminster Parish registers as transcribed on www.opcdorset.com.

The first appearance of Ann in the census records is in 1841 when she would have been about 29 using the baptism as a basis for determining her age. There is a probable sighting of Ann Watts in the census for Piddletrenthide. She and another girl who may be her sister Mary are working as servants for the Porter family at Doles Ash Farm Piddletrenthide. As William was living in Piddlehinton in 1841 it is quite likely that he met Ann near to his home. Doles Ash Farm is only 3 miles away unlike the 18 mile distance from Piddlehinton to Beaminster.

The Census records for 1851and 1861 are shown under John Wesley Shepard 1843 – 1892.

William Shepard appears in Hunt & Co’s Directory of Dorsetshire for the village of Stratton as “Shepherd Wm. Boot & shoemaker” In the Post Office Directory of Dorsetshire 1855, 1859 and 1875 he is shown as a trader “Sheppard William, shopkeeper and boot and shoe maker.”

By 1881 William appears on the census as a widower. Using the census records to determine Ann Shepard’s age at death, in 1871 Ann is shown as being 56 while in 1861 she is 48 and in 1851 she is 38. This means that if she died in 1878 then her age should be 63, 64 or 65. The most likely death record I have found for her gives an age of 66 but as explained below I know this is the correct one.

Given that the only viable marriage record for her parents shows her mother’s maiden name as ‘Cleall’ then, although this is never given as a second name for Ann in any census it is quite likely that she did carry that name. In which case the inaccuracy of 1 year is acceptable. There are several Cleal households in Corscombe in the 1841 census. I have investigated the Cleall connection further in my researches into the Watts Family but this is not included here.

The death certificate has confirmed my belief that this was the right person as the death was registered by Ann’s daughter Selina Shepard who was present at the death. Ann Shepard is identified on the certificate as the wife of William Shepard a Shoemaker.

Ann Cleal Shepard died age 66 on 13th June 1878 at her home in Stratton recorded as Dorchester Q2 1878 vol 5a page 235.

The 1881 census shows us that William is still living in Stratton where he is a grocer.

Two years later and William has remarried. This time to Selina Groves in Dorchester Q4 1883 vol 5a page 793.

Selina was previously married to a Jacob Groves. She and Jacob were both born in Maiden Newton and were married in Dorchester Q1 1855 vol 5a page 506. Between 1855 and 1857 they moved to Devon where Sophia Thomas Groves was born in Stoke Damerel Q1 1857 vol 5b page 315. A Jacob Groves was born in Plympton Q3 1858 vol 5b page 197 and died Plympton Q3 1860 vol 5b page 138. He may have been the son of Jacob and Selina although there is another Groves family who moved from Somerset to the Stoke Damerel area in the 1850’s They were Adolphus and Phoebe Groves who were married in Q3 1857 vol 5b page 492 so Jacob may be their son. Given the Christian name I think it more likely that he belongs to Jacob and Selina.

There is no trace of the family in 1871 or 1881 nor of a death registry entry for Jacob Groves. In light of this and because of the fact that in 1901 Sophia claims to have been born in America I wonder whether they in fact emigrated for a number of years and Jacob died whilst they were abroad resulting in his widow and daughter returning to England by 1883.

I have not investigated in detail but there are records of two people with the name ‘S Groves’ who arrived in Southampton after 1878

On the same page of the census there is a Watts family. The head of the family is Robert Watts who gives his place of birth as Beaminster. It is possible that he is related to William’s first wife Ann Watts

William and Selina are living in property 115 next door but one to South House Piddletrenthide which is on the road towards Piddlehinton. South House is property 113, property 108 is the Sun Inn. On modern maps of the area there is no reference to a ‘Sun Inn’ but about 300 yards south of South House is ‘Sun Lane’ which may have been the inns location. If so then from this we can deduce that they lived either slightly closer to the village or on an adjoining property to one side of the road. There are two or three cottages very close to South House.

During the next ten years William moves to a house on the road down from Dorchester to Upwey at the bottom of the Ridgeway.

Although he appears as a widower it would seem that his wife is actually still alive as she is living with her daughter from her previous marriage to Jacob Groves in what is now Emmadale Road Wyke Regis Weymouth

Sophia Groves is recorded as living on own account and born in America although previous census entries show she was born in Devon.

Selina Shepard died age 68 in Weymouth Q2 1902 vol 5a page 198.

“...William continued to live in retirement in Upwey, of which Ridgeway is part, until early October 1910 when failing health caused him to be moved to the house of his son, Amos, in Stratton where he died ten days later on 15.10.1910...”

William Shepard died aged 92 in Stratton recorded in Dorchester Q4 1910 vol 5a page 105